A Father's Pride
by Brizz333
Summary: Arriving earlier than depicted, Ziva David has the chance to change everything. The chance to save a life, and the chance to lead a new one. But to do this, she must go against her heart, her training, and her father. AU Twilight the beginning of TIVA
1. And It All Begins

Well, it's been a very long time since I have written anything, so please forgive me. I hope you enjoy my latest plot, it just wouldn't leave my mind, if you know what I mean. Please review.

Chapter One

And It All Begins

It was too late, she realized, to take back the words she had so inadequately spoke in a fit of anger. A resounding 'smack' followed almost immediately after, her father not taken to the sudden character analysis his five year old daughter had provided.

Her head snapped to the right, her back finding the floor soon after. Dazed, her hand found itself moving up to cover her steadily swelling eye.

Towering over her, feeling in every sense the most powerful of the two, Eli David sniffed casually and stepped over his daughter. "Do not get blood on the floor." He spat out without looking at her as he swiftly left the room.

Once she was positive her father wasn't coming back, she rose from the ground shakily and bolted to her brothers room.

"Ari! Ari!" She cried, tears of pain and bewilderment falling down her face.

Her brother lay in bed, sleeves rolled up and magazine in hand. "Ziva!" He exclaimed as he eyed the trail of blood flowing freely out of his sister's broken nose.

"Oh, little one, what has he done to you." Ari wrapped his arms around her and brought her in close. Ziva shook as her tears soaked Ari's shirt.

"I-I just wanted t-to know why he wasn't at my b-birthday party, 'ri."

Tightening his arms around Ziva, he didn't have to imagine too hard of how his father would have reacted to that. The image of little Ziva searching the room desperately on the one day that was supposed to be all about her found itself imbedded in his mind. He remembered holding Ziva that night as she cried in his arms, all the while asking where her father was. And with deep bitterness he recalled having no answer for her.

"He said he had p-pressing m-matters to attend to," she said mockingly, "and I got angry and told him he had more p-pressing m-matters than he did time for his f-family. So he hit me."

Ari groaned at his sister's antics. "Little one, how many times must I tell you, do not speak too much around Aba, for only bad things come of it."

Ziva burrowed her head further into his shoulder. "I know, and I'm sorry 'ri, but he just makes me so angry!"

"Shh, little one, it doesn't matter anymore." Silence consumed the room for a moment as Ari considered his next words carefully.

"There is something I need to tell you little one, and it is with great regret I do."

Ziva pulled away and gazed at Ari's face with growing concern. "What is it 'ri?"

Ari sighed. I must be the worst brother for saying this_._ "I fear that your life has already been set by Aba, and in order for you to survive, there are things I must teach you before he does."

He shifted uncomfortably, a knot in his stomach began to form. "When your training begins, Ziva, you must become the best, for being the best is the only way you'll survive the hell our father has already planned for you."

Ziva stiffened, uncomfortable with the topic. "I don't understand 'ri, what type of training do you think Aba will teach me?"

"That does not matter, now, little one. But when that day comes, I want you to always remember, never show weakness, never show what you are feeling or when you are in pain, for if you do, men like Aba will take over you and control you. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Ziva looked down ashamed as she felt the dried tears on her face. Already she had disappointed her big brother. Looking up determinedly, "I understand 'ri."

Twisting out of her brother's arms, she stood and turned to Ari with a hard look in her eye. "Do not worry Ari, for I will become the best, and that day Aba will regret the day he laid a hand on me."

Ari gave a sad smile. This was not how a five year old should speak. She should be full of life and energy, naïve to the evil ways of the world. Just another reason he despised his father.

"I know little one."

Ziva turned to leave, but after a moments hesitation, she turned. "I am no longer little anymore, Ari, and I would like to not be called that anymore."

She left before he could give her an answer, perhaps because she didn't need one. Ziva always heard the answer she liked, and that was hers.

Slowly Ari rose. "One day, Ziva, even father will not be able to stop you."

~~*~~

"Officer David, your car has arrived."

Ziva swung her head around, startled as she was ripped away from her own private musings. "Would you like for me to send for a driver?"

She stood, stretching the unused muscles that had tightened up as she sat in embassy's chairs. "Do I look as if I have no ability to drive?" She questioned, irritable.

"No, no, ma'am, I was merely suggesting-"

"I did not ask for your suggestion." Ziva snapped, annoyed at being referred to as ma'am. She obtained little sleep those past few nights and those who annoyed her paid for it.

Leaving the poor man to stand stunned behind her, Ziva left the embassy and entered her car. The sun shone brightly, so she pulled out her glasses, all the while bringing out her cell phone.

Bringing the phone to her ear, she waited impatiently for the man to pick up.

"Shalom"

Ziva smiled. "Shalom, Ari."


	2. Casual Meetings

Chapter Two

Casual Meetings

Ziva casually sipped her tea, seemingly unaffected by the events unfolding before her very eyes. Sharp pops from well aimed pistols and the loud raps of machine guns echoed throughout the block. She watched with dismal interest from her rental car next to the warehouse just across from the all the action.

As the rapid retort of gunshots began to slow down to an aching silence, Ziva sighed and placed her tea in the cup holder. Time to go to work.

Throwing her sunglasses onto the passenger seat, Ziva exited the car and opened the trunk. After grabbing her preferred gun, a 9mm UZI, Ziva rushed into the warehouse the NCIS team had previously cleared.

It had taken a lot from her to get here. Just after the call from Ari, she had met up with him at a small café, where from there she followed him to this very warehouse, just hours before the NCIS agents had shown up. She had sat for almost an hour before Ari exited the warehouse and entered one just farther down the block.

Confused and slightly curious at her brother's actions, she had decided to stay and observe. Her father's accusations of her brother had seemed completely unreasonable at the time, but now as she watched her brother set up to take a shot, she found herself in doubt.

Running up the stairs two at a time, she finally reached the rooftop. One of the female agents lay on the ground, holding her chest while the other two had yet to see her. Looking over to where her brother had settled himself, her eyes furrowed in anger.

It was a shock to her system as she suddenly realized her brother was betraying his country, their country, and was about to kill an American agent. A flash of silver caught her eye as the female agent stood. Her body kicked into action as she bolted over to the three agents.

Their adrenaline levels must have waned, for before any of them could react, she slammed into the oldest agent, and like dominos they fell to ground just as a shout rang out.

The impact had knocked the breath out of her lungs, and the sharp, numbing pain that engulfed her shoulder meant that her brother's shot missed. Stumbling to her feet, she found herself face to face with three loaded guns and three very angry NCIS agents.

Despite the imminent threat, all she could do was gaze at her brother, whom was packing up his snipers nest with quick precision.

In a rush Ziva looked at who she figured was the team leader. "I have no time to explain, but unless you want an assassin loose in D.C. I suggest you lower your guns and allow me to leave."

The silver-haired man glared deep in her eyes for a moment, until he finally looked away, motioning for the other two to lower their weapons.

With great hesitation they lowered their guns, and Ziva took off like a bullet, straight down the stairs and back to her rental car, leaving a dazed NCIS team behind.

~~*~~

Tony DiNozzo watched with an open mouth as the strange woman that had just tackled three trained federal agents gave a breathy explanation as to why they needed to let her go.

The fact that a steady flow of blood seeped out of her shoulder didn't seem to faze the woman as she took off after whoever had just fired the last shot of the firefight. And despite his body's low energy levels and their current position, he couldn't help but ogle the sexy brunette.

A goofy grin must have graced his features for a solid smack to the back of his head quickly pulled him out of his musings, where instead of tackling the three of them, the sexy mysterious woman had only tackled him…in his bed…with a lot less clothing on.

Kate gave him a quick smirk. "I can see where your mind is going, DiNozzo."

Now DiNozzo was smirking right back. "Oh do you, Agent Todd?"

Gibbs suddenly spun around. "Good, then you both know to call Abby and get an ID on the woman."

Tony flipped out his phone, "On it boss!"

~~*~~

Ziva cursed steadily in every language she could speak fluently in as she swerved in and out of the D.C. traffic. Ari's car was just up ahead, and he too dove in and out of traffic as he desperately attempted to dodge his tail.

She jumped as the shrill ringing of her phone penetrated her concentration. She didn't have to look at the id to know who it was.

"It is over, Ari." She stated as calmly as she possibly could, all the while trying not to dwell on the deep cuts of betrayal and anger that sliced at her heart.

"You do not know the full story, Ziva. Now before you attempt to kill me, I must implore that we meet."

Ziva growled. "You tried to kill an American agent, Ari! There is no talking. When father told me of your betrayal, I refused to believe it. I stood up for you Ari! And now I am the idiot for believing my brother, my own brother, was true to his country."

"Little sister, you know that father has been trying to set me up for years. That is all this is, a big massive set up!"

Her phone dropped to the floor as she turned suddenly to left and rammed her car into Ari's, leaving a deep gash in the door.

Pulling out her gun, she aimed it at Ari's head. She gazed at his eyes for a moment, and the memory of her big brother wrapping her in his arms after she had fell from the tree filled her mind. His eyes had been so full of warmth and laughter then. And now, they gazed at her with cold deep-seeded bitterness that pierced her heart.

Ari took advantage of his Ziva's hesitation and rammed his car into hers, driving her into a small flower shop.

The car slammed into the brick wall, and Ziva grunted with pain as shattered glass shredded her face and arms.

Dazed and slightly out of sorts, she was unaware of the big black van that drove up behind her. And as she watched Ari's car dive away, she never saw the black clad men until the cold metal of the barrel of their guns pressed hard into her temple.

"Out of the car." The accented voice ordered, and Ziva found herself on her knees in the middle of the road, completely at the mercy of her captors.

The one she assumed was their leader reached forward and yanked her head back. Barely stifling a cry at the sudden motion, Ziva whipped out a knife and slashed at the mans face.

Before one of the guys came behind her and pistol-whipped her into peaceful darkness, she watched in satisfaction as blood dripped down the mans face.

~~*~~

Kate jumped off the cold autopsy table and turned to Ducky.

"You should be just fine dear, just a few bruises."

"Thank you, Ducky."

Ducky waved his hand. "Oh, it was nothing, my dear."

Kate smiled and headed back up to the bullpen, all the while fingering the bandages on her ribs. She was lucky, she knew. Not only had she survived one bullet, but a strange woman had come out of nowhere and saved her entire team's ass.

As she sat at her desk, she turned to Tony. "Any idea on who the mysterious woman is?"

Tony spun in his chair, bored out of his mind. "No idea, but boss-man has called lock down. No one is allowed out of the building until it's all clear."

Kate groaned and swung her head to look at McGee's desk. "Where's Tim?"

"Downstairs with Abby on protective detail; but don't tell Abby that."

Silence enveloped the bullpen… well, as silent as it could what with a bored DiNozzo, who immediately began tapping on his desk, desperate to fill the silence.

Finally Kate had endured enough. "Tony! Would you stop it?"

He grinned cheekily. "Huh, never heard that one before."

Kate groaned. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Psh, impossibly charming. Your just jealous 'cause you can feel yourself slowly breaking down for the DiNozzo charm."

Kate laughed at that statement. "The only thing breaking down, DiNozzo, is my mental capacity from spending too much time around you."

"Oh, Agent Todd, you wound me." Tony said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as if she had physically hurt him.

"DiNozzo!" Barked Gibbs as he entered the bullpen.

"Yes Boss!" Tony responded, spinning in his chair to face the senior agent.

"Any ID on the mystery woman yet."

"No boss."

Gibbs began to walk toward the elevator. "I'm going on a coffee run. By the time I get back, I want a name and a reason as to why she's here."

As he said that last part, the elevators opened and the bloody, beaten down mystery woman stepped out. "I believe I can save you some time and answer that for you."

~~*~~

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	3. At All Costs

**A big huge thanks to all those who have alerted me, favored me, and reviewed me (I think I covered all of them). And a big huge Gibbs smack for me. I forgot to put disclaimers on my chapters. PLEASE DON'T SUE. So without further ado, my disclaimer: I own nothing, all of this content belongs to the wonderful creators of NCIS. And now finally chapter three.**

Chapter Three

At All Costs

**Previously on A Father's Pride:**

"_DiNozzo!" Barked Gibbs as he entered the bullpen. _

"_Yes Boss!" Tony responded, spinning in his chair to face the senior agent._

"_Any ID on the mystery woman yet."_

"_No boss."_

_Gibbs began to walk toward the elevator. "I'm going on a coffee run. By the time I get back, I want a name and a reason as to why she's here."_

_As he said that last part, the elevators opened and the bloody, beaten down mystery woman stepped out. "I believe I can save you some time and answer that for you."_

~~*~~

**Two Hours Earlier**

Ziva silently groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her body ached, the deep gashes on her face stung, and her shoulder sent crippling shots of pain up and down her arm. With a slight smirk she relished in the fact that the men who captured her did not tie her hands together. _Foolish idiots. _

They were still in the black van, one man was driving while the other scanned the road, a machine gun rested casually in his lap.

Ziva slowly rolled over on her side, careful of her shoulder and mindful of the two black-clad men. Slowly she crawled behind the passenger seat. With a grunt, she jumped up and quickly brought her arm around the man's neck, snapping it to the side.

The driver shouted in alarm and pulled out a pistol. Just as he pulled the trigger, Ziva's arm shot out and forced the gun to shoot harmlessly to the side.

Quickly she twisted the mans arm and stole the pistol in his hand. Without hesitation she pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger.

The realization that no one was driving the car hit her full force as the van rammed into the median and slammed into an awaiting tree. Ziva's body flung forward, and the last sensation she felt before blackness clouded her mind was the cool beads of blood that dripped down her face.

~~*~~

For the second time that day, Ziva slowly opened her eyes and groaned in pain. Cool droplets of rain sprinkled on her face, moistening her cracked, dry lips.

As she attempted to move, a flare of pain attacked her body and she suddenly became aware of every cut and bruise all over her body. Somehow, despite the pain and lack of energy, Ziva managed to stand and take a few shaky steps to where the van remained in a tangled mess.

Reaching into the van, she pulled out the man's pistol and tucked it into her waistband-one can never be too careful. Bright lights suddenly pierced the heavy darkness as a car wound its way up the hill to where Ziva stood.

The driver slowed to a stop as he witnessed the mangled car and the tattered woman standing next to it. Jumping out of the car, he ran over to Ziva, eyes squinting in the dark.

"Hey, you all right?" He called out.

Ziva took a few shaky steps forward, then stopped. Figuring if the man meant any harm he would have killed her when he first pulled up, Ziva cleared her throat. "Can you take me to NCIS."

Looking at Ziva as if she were crazy, the man glanced at the van. "What about-"

"It does not matter." She cut him off. "Do you know where NCIS is?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, my sister works there. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital."

Ziva did not answer, but instead moved passed the man and sat in the passenger seat.

~~*~~

**Present Time**

Ziva took another shaky step out of the elevator and turned to the silver haired man. Though she felt as if at any moment she was going to pass out, she refused to show any weakness in front of the team; her pride and training wouldn't allow it.

"Officer Ziva David-Mossad."

Gibbs' eyebrows raised. "Mossad, huh? Any connection to Ari Haswari, the man who tried to kill my team?"

Ziva tensed, feeling the distrust and bitterness practically oozing off of Special Agent Gibbs. "I am Ari's control officer."

"Looks like someone didn't do a very good job of controlling." Tony smirked as he walked over, butting into the conversation.

Ziva and Gibbs ignored him. "Any particular reason you are here, Officer David?"

"Of course. I am here to stop you from killing a Mossad officer."

Gibbs leaned against the wall. "And just how far are you willing to stop me, Agent David. Because I can assure you right now, Ari Haswari will not leave this country alive."

Ziva smiled ruefully. "Well that would be a shame if you did, Special Agent Gibbs, for I have direct orders from the deputy director to bring Officer Haswari in alive at all costs."

Gibb's face darkened. Suddenly he turned and bolted upstairs, straight up to MTAC. Tony's eyes followed his boss up the stairs, then he turned to Ziva.

"You get used to it." He smirked, turning to gaze at the brunette. It was then that he noticed the state she was in. Blood caked her body; deep gashes from God knows what covered her face and arms, and her shoulder was covered in dried blood.

Exhaustion crept up on Ziva; the strength that somehow kept her going all day was completely depleted, and she found herself swaying on her feet.

Tony reached out, scared she was about to collapse. And within a moment, the scary Mossad agent was back, and she grabbed the offending arm and twisted it around.

Tony yelped in pain, and Ziva let go. "I am sorry, it has been a long day."

He took a step back, rubbing his aching arm along the way. "Well, you look like you need some medical attention. Come on, I'll take you to Ducky. He's our medical examiner, really a genius if you ask me. He has all these-"

"Agent DiNozzo." She cut his rambling off.

Tony gave his mega-watt smile. "Please, I insist you call me Tony."

Ziva smiled wearily back. "Please Tony, I simply wanted to come here and offer my services in apprehending Officer Haswari and protecting the rest of your team."

"Well aren't you worried he'll come after you as well?" Tony questioned, a frown set upon his face.

"I have good reason to believe that Officer Haswari would not harm me."

Tony moved to sit down at his desk, and motioned she should take a seat also. Ziva smiled with thanks, and practically collapsed in the chair.

"Well, Zee-vah, that makes one of us." He paused for a moment. "Where are you staying?"

Ziva sighed. "I was staying at a hotel, but now that I know Ari is after your team, I will stay here."

Silence filled the bullpen, only to be shattered by Tony's phone.

"This is very Special Agent DiNozzo, how may I-"

"Ok, ok, Abs, I'll be down in a minute."

Tony sighed and stood up. "Abby, our forensics scientist, needs me to come downstairs. You can come if you like, or stay there."

"I believe I will stay."

He nodded and left the bullpen. Just as he left, another phone began to go off. Curious, Ziva glanced at the caller ID and frowned. Where did she know that number from?

Reaching out she picked up the phone. "Shalom."

There was silence for a moment, then the voice began to speak. "You have not done your protective services well, my little sister."

"Ari." She hissed, standing. "Where are you?"

His deep laughed rumbled across the phone. "You know I will not tell you, Ziva, it is against our father's training. I will tell you, however, that I currently have my sights on a very handsome man in the forensics lab. I believe your reports said his name is Special Agent DiNozzo?"

Ziva slammed the phone down and bolted to the elevator. Though she did not know the labs exact position, she figured she had a better chance looking for it than waiting on someone to show it to her.

Bursting through what she hoped was the right door, Ziva pulled her gun and ran straight to the window. Tony and Abby stared at her in shock, unable to move at the sudden entrance.

"Get down on the floor and turn off the lights." Ziva hissed, not taking her eyes off the window. Tony and Abby dove to the floor, and within seconds the lab was cloaked in darkness.

"What's going on, David?" Tony whispered from somewhere in the room.

She didn't answer. All Tony could do was gape in horror as a red dot settled itself right in the middle of the Israeli's forehead.

~~*~~

**Ohh, cliffy. Gotta love those. ; ) You know what else you gotta love- REVIEWS!!!!**


	4. Crossing Boundaries

Yay, another chapter! Thank you again for all the reviews and everything else you can do to a story these days. I hope you enjoy. And just as a reminder, I OWN NOTHING!!!

Chapter Four

Crossing Boundaries

**Previously on A Father's Pride:**

"_Get down on the floor and turn off the lights." Ziva hissed, not taking her eyes off the window. Tony and Abby dove to the floor, and within seconds the lab was cloaked in darkness. _

"_What's going on, David?" Tony whispered from somewhere in the room._

_She didn't answer. All Tony could do was gape in horror as a red dot settled itself right in the middle of the Israeli's forehead._

**~~*~~**

Agent Gibbs stormed angrily into Director Morrow's office, only to stop short at the red head that currently sat at his desk.

"Jen?"

Dressed in a casual skirt and jacket, Jenny Shepard stood on her feet and walked easily over to where Gibbs stood.

"Jethro." She whispered, a smile graced across her face. "It's been awhile."

Gibbs shook his head, the sight of his ex-lover standing in front of him as if nothing had happened between them threw him off.

"What are ya doin' here Jen?"

Jenny frowned. "Morrow didn't tell you?"

Gibbs grunted. "Tell me what?"

"Morrow took a promotion. I'm your new Director of NCIS."

Laughing to himself, Gibbs moved away. "You were a good agent, Jen, and now you're throwing it away to play politics!"

"I'm good at politics, Jethro."

"You're also good at other things too, Jen." Gibbs grinned in spite of himself, the image of the two naked in bed fresh in his mind.

Jen smiled, but her comment was cut off as Gibb's phone began to ring. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Boss!" Tony's voice answered through the phone. "Ya gotta get down to Abby's lab, quick. It's Ari."

~~*~~

**Five Minutes Earlier**

**~~*~~**

"Ziva!" Tony yelped, desperate to get the Israeli's attention.

As if sensing what Tony was attempting to warn her about, Ziva rose her chin, as if daring the shooter to pull the trigger.

"He will not shoot." She pronounced confidently. _He would not dare. _

Tony shuffled awkwardly across the floor to get a better angle at Ziva. Abby shrieked and Tony jumped as the shrill sound of the forensics lab's phone began to ring. Pulling her gaze from the window, Ziva reached out and snatched the phone from its base.

"Shalom." She answered, fighting the surge of anger and disappointment that seemed to well up inside of her.

"Way to ruin all the fun little sister." Ari's taunting voice rang out in the silence of the room.

Ziva tensed and resumed her hateful gaze out of the window. She resisted the urge to shiver as the cool red dot settled on her forehead once more.

"Leave, Ari. I will deal with you later, without the NCIS agents around."

"You realize, Ziva, that you stand in the way of what I want."

Ziva cocked her head and smirked. "I am confident I stand in your way, Ari."

"You know I always get what I want little one."

His voice, so deep and comforting, caused Ziva to hesitate. How could this monster be her beloved Ari? Memories threatened to overcome her stoic exterior as her brothers voice reached her core. She remembered Ari running to her, arms wide open with a look of terror placed firmly on his face as Ziva tiptoed up the tree. The very tree that their father had just hours before forbid them to climb.

Shaking her head, Ziva shoved the memories back deep inside of her. There was no time for nostalgia.

"I will not allow you to harm these agents, Ari."

His deep chuckle unwillingly caused shivers to run up her arms. "Ziva, I do not wish to hurt you, but if you continue on blocking my way I will be forced to take forceful action."

Ziva's eyes furrowed. "You would not dare."

A second later Ziva dropped the phone as the glass shattered in front of her and her body dropped to the floor, blood slowly leaking into a puddle beneath her head.

~~*~~

Well, I just couldn't resist hanging you guys a little bit longer. ; D I may be persuaded to keep Ziva alive if I get lots of reviews. *wink wink* *nudge nudge*


	5. Too Close For Comfort

**So many reviews last chapter! I love it! I love it! I love it! Alright, I think I used enough exclamation points. A thanks to all that have reviewed, I am glad you are enjoying my story. Anyway, I own nothing! On with the story!**

Chapter Five

Too Close For Comfort

**Previously On A Father's Pride**

_His deep chuckle unwillingly caused shivers to run up her arms. "Ziva, I do not wish to hurt you, but if you continue on blocking my way I will be forced to take forceful action."_

_Ziva's eyes furrowed. "You would not dare."_

_A second later Ziva dropped the phone as the glass shattered in front of her and her body dropped to the floor, blood slowly leaking into a puddle beneath her head. _

**~~*~~**

As soon as Tony heard the gunshot, he jumped on top of Abby, shoving her deeper into the corner of the desk and shielding her body from any waylaid bullets.

They lay there a moment, a sickening silence filling the lab. "Abby-you alright?"

Abby groaned beneath him. "Abby!"

Tony began to panic, scared that Abby had been hit by the bullet.

"Your knee is in my thigh you big oaf." Tony let out a relieved laugh and rolled off Abby.

"Talk about a close one, eh Officer David." Tony turned his head to where the Mossad officer had been just moments before.

"David?"

Tony poked his head around the counter. His heart dropped at what he saw. The usually confident, and almost threatening, demeanor of the Israeli was gone as she lay on the tile floor, a pool of blood building beneath her head.

"Ziva!"

Tony scrambled toward the brunette, mindful that Ari could still be lingering with his scope outside. When he reached her, he pulled her body toward him so that she lay on her back.

"Ziva." Tony shook her shoulders. "Wake up, Ziva."

A groan startled Tony, and he nearly fell over as Ziva's eyes fluttered open. She opened her mouth and uttered something under her breath.

Tony leaned in. "What was that?"

As she gazed into his eyes, he could read the raw pain in her eyes. "He shot me."

Slowly her eyes shut, and after Tony deemed she was still alive, he flipped open his phone.

"Boss! Ya gotta get down to Abby's lab, quick. It's Ari."

**~~*~~**

A cold feeling snuck its into Tony's body as he walked into the sterile bedroom that Ziva was staying in. Shortly after Gibbs stormed Abby's lab, Ziva was immediately taken to Bethesda where she was whisked away into the ER.

Cops and federal agents swarmed the NCIS building and the area around it, desperately searching for Ari Haswari. Gibbs ordered his team to stay in the bullpen unless given permission to leave by Gibbs himself. Tony, however, was given protective duty to one Officer David, and was sent to Bethesda.

Taking a deep breath, Tony opened the door.

Ziva shook her head, groggy from the morphine that the doctors pumped into her system.

"Agent DiNozzo." She smiled in surprise and confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Tony plastered a charming grin on his face. She was pale, with an IV sticking out of her arm and her hair piled up on her head in a messy bun. A bandage covered the right side of her forehead, obscuring half of her face. Another wrapped its way around her shoulder. Deep scratches on her arms and face had been coated with bandages and ointment. And despite her current state of disarray, Tony found himself undeniably attracted to the foreign beauty.

"Oh, you know, just thought I would take a stroll. And to my surprise, I hear a couple nurses talking about some crazy chick who kept threatening the nurses."

Ziva choked out a laugh, then winced at the immediate head pain. "They were getting on my last chord."

"Nerve." He corrected automatically.

"What is the difference?"

Tony shifted his tie and sat down next to her bed. "Well you see a nerve is something inside your body and - you know what, it doesn't really matter. How are you feeling?"

Ziva crossed her arms in annoyance. "Just fine. I am perfectly well enough to leave, however these single minded doctors refuse to let me."

"Well they usually like to keep those who have bullet wounds in their care longer than an hour." Tony laughed, feeling some of the stress of the day slide off his shoulders.

"Yes, well I am fine now."

"You could get hit by a bus and say you're fine!" Tony exclaimed, a grin claiming his face.

Ziva smiled at him. The American's goofy smile and alarmingly attractive body warmed her body as he stared at her, a funny look in his eye.

The underlined sexual tension filled the room, and both knew it was there. The casual silence shattered as Tony's phone began to ring.

"Yeah boss."

Tony nodded. "Alright, I'll be there right away."

He closed his phone and stood. Looking reluctantly at the door, he paused. "I have to go back to NCIS."

Ziva frowned. She had become accustomed to the easy going presence that Agent DiNozzo brought along with him.

"That is a shame. I very-" she paused, looking him up and down, "enjoyed your company."

Tony leaned against the door frame, a confident smirk gracing his face as he picked up on the officer's flirting.

"Oh trust me, I would much rather spend my time in here with you." Tony sent a sultry look at Ziva and turned on his heels, exiting the room.

**~~*~~**

Tony entered the bullpen and sat in his chair. "Why'd you call me back, boss? I thought I was on protective duty?"

Gibbs looked up from his computer. "Change of plans. Deputy Director David of Mossad called and ordered that the protective detail be pulled immediately in fear of an international incident with the death of an NCIS agent."

"He thinks Ari would have killed me?"

Gibbs let out a laugh. "What do you think he's been doing for the past twenty-four hours, DiNozzo."

"Well he shot Ziva. Don't you think that warrants someone to protect her?"

"Deputy Director David seems convinced that Officer David can take care of herself."

Tony's head shot up. "Wait a second. Deputy Director David? Any relation to one Officer Ziva David."

Gibbs stood and walked to the elevator. "I didn't ask."

~~*~~

**Ziva's alive, yay!!!!!! I didn't even leave you guys with a cliffhanger this time. : ) And I am terribly sorry, but I had no intentions of killing Ziva-she's my favorite. It was a ruse for more reviews, what can I say, I'm greedy. I hope you enjoyed the TIVA interaction, more to come, don't worry! I think that warrants some reviews, don't ya think?**


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